Sivaji Ganesan's birth anniversary

Sivaji Ganesan (October 1, 1928 - July 21, 2001) was a legendary actor in Indian cinema and one of the first method actors in India, making his mark during the latter half of the 20th century. His fame came from his versatility and expressive prowess in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning close to five decades he has acted in nearly 300 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.

Sivaji made his acting debut in the 1952 Tamil film Parasakthi, co-starring actress Pandari Bai which still remains to be one of the best films to have been made. He was the first Indian film actor to win a 'Best Actor' award in an International film festival, the Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Cairo, Egypt in 1960 and is also referred to as 'The Marlon Brando of Indian Cinema'.

The great actor has won the President's Award for more than 12 times for his performance in various films. He was also honoured with civilian awards such as Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Dada Saheb Palke Award, the highest award in India for people involved in film industry.

Sivaji Ganesan's most prestigious award was the 'Chevalier' in 1995, awarded by the National Order of the Legion of Honour in France. This is one of the main decorations of the French Republic which is conferred to honour the most original and talented personalities, for their remarkable contributions in the field of Arts and Literature in France and all over the world.